Tag Archive: Free

Is Hong Kong on the Brink of Unrest?

By

Gregory V. Boulware

“When law becomes a science and a system, it ceases to be justice. The errors, into which a blind devotion to principles of classification has led the common law, will be seen by observing how often the legislation has been obligated to come forward to restore the equity its scheme had lost.”

~Landor~

‘The Jurisprudence of Every Nation’

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the Earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men – that they were fair; and of them they took as wives of all they chose.

And the Lord said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

Hong Kong is being rocked by pro-democracy protests. Since its return to Chinese rule 17 years ago, its residents have enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. But unrest has been growing. Many say the Chinese government is trying to control the electoral process for Hong Kong’s top administrative officer. In July, some 510,000 people took part in protest demonstrations. At the end of August, the Chinese government announced that it would effectively bar pro-democracy candidates from running in elections. Activists are planning to stage massive rallies and to occupy the financial district in central Hong Kong. Meanwhile, government supporters have held counter-demonstrations. The rift in society has been deepening. What’s behind the Chinese’s government attempt to tighten control? And where is Hong Kong headed? We will consider these questions together with a Japanese specialist on China, Professor Ichiro Korogi of Kanda University of International Studies, and Associate Professor Benny Tai of the University of Hong Kong, one of the leaders of the pro-democracy movement.

“George Bush, then President of the U.S., Hu Jin Tao, China’s President, and Than Shue, Myanmar’s Military leader went to visit God, Zarganar emailed a friend just after 9 o’clock; just before the crackdown on the evening of September twenty-fifth. Bush asked God, when will the US become the most powerful nation in the world?” Hu then asked when China would become the richest nation in the world, which drew the same answer from God.

Would you have the government control you for saying something they don’t approve of? Is the First Amendment protecting you and yours? Does the First Amendment apply to you and me? How does our civilized, democratic society stack up to those who do crack down on the right to speak — privately or publicly?

…in a free manner; freely; Nautical. away from the wind, so that a sailing vessel need not be close-hauled:

“running free.” verb (used with object), freed, freeing; to make free; set at liberty; release from bondage, imprisonment, or restraint; to exempt or deliver (usually followed by from); to relieve or rid (usually followed by of): “to free oneself of responsibility.”; to disengage; clear (usually followed by from or of) Verb phrases; free up, a.to release, as from restrictions: “Congress voted to free up funds for the new highway system.” b.to disentangle: “It took an hour to free up the traffic jam.”

Idioms; for free, Informal. without charge: “The tailor mended my jacket for free.”; free and clear, Law. without any encumbrance, as a lien or mortgage:

“They owned their house free and clear.”; free and easy, a. unrestrained; casual; informal. b. excessively or inappropriately casual; presumptuous; make free with, a.to use as one’s own; help oneself to: “If you make free with their liquor, you won’t be invited again.” b.to treat with too much familiarity; take liberties with; set free, to release; liberate; free: “The prisoners were set free.”; with a free hand, generously; freely; openhandedly: “He entertains visitors with a free hand.”

Middle English

Old English

Choice

noun

…an act or instance of choosing; selection:

“Her choice of a computer was made after months of research. His parents were not happy with his choice of friends.”

…the right, power, or opportunity to choose; option:

“The child had no choice about going to school.”

…the person or thing chosen or eligible to be chosen :

“This book is my choice. He is one of many choices for the award.”

…an alternative:

“There is another choice.”

…an abundance or variety from which to choose :

“A wide choice of candidates.”

…something that is preferred or preferable to others; the best part of something:

Choice, alternative, option, preference all suggest the power of choosing between things. Choice implies the opportunity to choose: “a choice of evils.” Alternative suggests that one has a choice between only two possibilities. It is often used with a negative to mean that there is no second possibility: “to have no alternative.”Option emphasizes free right or privilege of choosing: “to exercise one’s option. “Preference applies to a choice based on liking or partiality: “to state a preference.” 9. …select, rare, uncommon, valuable, precious. See fine1.

noun

1.

…the act or an instance of choosing or selecting

2.

…the opportunity or power of choosing

3.

…a person or thing chosen or that may be chosen: he was a possible choice

4.

…an alternative action or possibility: what choice did I have?

5.

…a supply from which to select: a poor choice of shoes

6.

…of choice, preferred; favourite

adjective

7.

…of superior quality; excellent: choice wine

8.

…carefully chosen, appropriate: a few choice words will do the trick

9.

…vulgar or rude: choice language

mid-14c., “that which is choice,” from choice (adj.) blended with earlier chois (n.) “action of selecting” (c.1300); “power of choosing” (early 14c.), “someone or something chosen” (late 14c.), from Old French chois “one’s choice; fact of having a choice” (12c., Modern French choix), from verb choisir “to choose, distinguish, discern; recognize, perceive, see,” from a Germanic source related to Old English ceosan “to choose, taste, try;” see choose. Late Old English chis “fastidious, choosy,” from or related to ceosan, probably also contributed to the development of choice. Replaced Old English cyre “choice, free will,” from the same base, probably because the imported word was closer to choose [see note in OED].

adj.

…”worthy to be chosen, distinguished, excellent,” mid-14c., from choice (n.).

…in philosophy, a corollary of the proposition of free will-i.e., the ability voluntarily to decide to perform one of several possible acts or to avoid action entirely. An ethical choice involves ascribing qualities such as right or wrong, good or bad, better or worse to alternatives.

Communism:

…a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

…(often initial capital letter) a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.

…(initial capital letter) the principles and practices of the Communist Party.

…communalism.

French

…communism includes all of these when understood in its true meaning. Forms of libertarian communism such as situationism are strongly egoist in nature.

noun

1.

…advocacy of a classless society in which private ownership has been abolished and the means of production and subsistence belong to the community

2.

…any social, economic, or political movement or doctrine aimed at achieving such a society

3.

…(usually capital) a political movement based upon the writings of Marx that considers history in terms of class conflict and revolutionary struggle, resulting eventually in the victory of the proletariat and the establishment of a socialist order based on public ownership of the means of production See also Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, socialism

4.

…(usually capital) a social order or system of government established by a ruling Communist Party, esp in the former Soviet Union

5.

…(often capital) (mainly US) any leftist political activity or thought, esp when considered to be subversive

6.

…communal living; communalism “social system based on collective ownership,” 1843, from French communisme (c.1840) from commun (Old French comun; see common (adj.)) + -isme (see -ism).

Originally a theory of society; as name of a political system, 1850, a translation of German Kommunismus (itself from French), in Marx and Engels’ “Manifesto of the Communist Party.” Cf. communist. In some cases in early and mid-20c., a term of abuse implying anti-social criminality without regard to political theory; i.e. socialism, communism, anarchism] stands for a state of things, or a striving after it, that differs much from that which we know; & for many of us, especially those who are comfortably at home in the world as it is, they have consequently come to be the positive, comparative, & superlative, distinguished not in kind but in degree only, of the terms of abuse applicable to those who would disturb our peace.

Communism definition

An economic and social system envisioned by the nineteenth-century German scholar Karl Marx. In theory, under communism, all means of production are owned in common, rather than by individuals (see Marxism and Marxism-Leninism). In practice, a single authoritarian party controls both the political and economic systems. In the twentieth century, communism was associated with the economic and political systems of China and the Soviet Union and of the satellites of the Soviet Union.

(Compare capitalism and socialism).

Universal Suffrage:

noun

…suffrage for all persons over a certain age, usually 18 or 21, who in other respects satisfy the requirements established by law.

Do we in America allow our government to oppress us, disrespect us, detect us, delete us, or to protect us? When we in America elect our government officials — do we control them or do they control us?

“Let the workers do as they will…let those in the depths use force and do wrong, so that we can be justified in using force against them…behold a New World Order!”

“If you lead correctly, orders are unnecessary and useless.”

~Confucius~

“He has showed you, O man, what’s good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your GOD?”

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.”